my students are so cool

I'm sitting here in my classroom during my prep, utterly exhausted, but so grateful for the joy that Jesus has given me in my job.

For so long, I wanted to be an astronomer, yet loved people and felt so conflicted. Then teaching came up in college, and now I get to teach the subject I love...how God knew what he was doing with me.

This week's been awesome so I wanted to share it with you:

I started teaching two of my students at home last week, because they have injuries and need extra help. So yesterday, I went with one of my students to Eegees, we worked on geometry and history, and just bummed. It was so fun!

Then today, two of my students from last year - Eddy and Jordan - come in to my classroom. They stop by often, and to be honest, I have greatly missed my kids from last year...though I am having more fun with my students from this year...

OK so Eddy and Jordan walk in. Eddy is usually a very silly, joking guy, but he walks up all serious and says, "Miss, I was watching this special on Oprah" WHAT??? First off, that's freaking hilarious. Eddy is not the kind of guy to watch Oprah. Anyways, he continues, "and the special was all about teachers and I was thinking a lot about it, and we both (him and Jordan) had to come and tell you - you're the best teacher ever. We miss you a lot this year and we just wanted to say we really appreciate all you've done"

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW - how cute are they!!?!?!?!?!?!? How blessed am I to have my students come tell me things like that!!! I didn't know what to say, but gave them hugs, told them I was grateful, that I loved them, and that I was so proud of them. It was just such a coooool moment! :)

Amidst the first few weeks of school feeling so brutal, I finally feel like I'm not being run over by one of those cement-smoothing trucks, and it's all God. I've been asking him for help, to give me the capacity I need, to help me enjoy the kids like he does and to really see them, and he's been so gracious in providing that. I was reading a Henri Nouwen book last week about how compassion leads to joy - it seems that this week he has really been allowing me to experience that.

So thanks for all your support everybody, for your prayers and fellowship, and I feel like I should say a toast so...a virtual toast! - Here's to the God of all good and to Jesus his Son- who came, who lived the most compassionate, beautiful, and sacrificial life - thanks be to him that he was here, and that he's given us his Spirit to be here with us now, helping us to live into such a remarkable life as his.